Mikhail Gorbachev Resigns as Soviet President
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991.
Published · Updated · 1 min read
The Event
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union on December 25, 1991. His televised address acknowledged the end of the state he had tried to reform.
The Wider Story
Republics had declared independence and new arrangements had displaced central Soviet authority. The Kremlin flag change became a powerful symbol.
Putting the Event in Perspective
His resignation and the final Soviet institutional declaration on December 26 were distinct milestones.
Reading the Historical Record
Do not treat every republic's independence as beginning with the broadcast.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: a 1991 Moscow television setting and distant Kremlin exterior, no imitation speech. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
Found an error? Send a correction. Read our editorial standards.